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Vienna’s Green Expo to offer education, energy audit and lawn-mowing ewes

The solar power installation company Ipsun Solar at the 2023 Vienna Green Expo (courtesy Town of Vienna)

In Fairfax County, sheep mow lawns, beekeepers remove misplaced swarms and gardeners teach the community.

The Town of Vienna will feature organizations that do all that and more at its annual Green Expo at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE). Sponsored by the town’s Conservation and Sustainability Commission, the expo is set for 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 18 — four days before Earth Day.

Local company LambMowers, which provides “professional grazing services,” is sponsoring an outdoor exhibit of ewes and lambs, per a press release. Live birds of prey will also be on the scene, courtesy of volunteer organization Secret Garden Birds and Bees.

Other exhibitors at this year’s expo include Fairfax Master Naturalists, Fairfax County’s chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, multiple garden clubs and an individual who raises chickens at home.

“More than 30 local exhibitors will be on hand with information about green landscaping ideas, composting, recycling, energy efficiency, solar power, water conservation and more,” the town said in its press release.

One expo attendee will walk away with a free home energy audit valued at $595. Home energy audits find cost-effective ways to boost energy efficiency, according to the Energy Star program from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Attendees can also talk to local experts about sustainability, with scheduled “Ask Me Anything” sessions that will cover topics such as recycling infrastructure and native plants.

For example, horticulturist Barbara Ryan will review how residents with yards can incorporate native plants and sustainable practices. Ryan owns the local landscaping company, Chain Bridge Native Landscapes.

After the Green Expo, Fairfax County residents can mark Earth Day on Saturday, April 20 at Earth Day Fairfax, a festival featuring volunteer opportunities, live music, farm animals and more. That event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sully Historic Site in Chantilly (3650 Historic Sully Way).

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FFXnow Daily Debrief for Apr 10, 2024

Good Wednesday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Apr 10, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

⛈️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect showers and potential thunderstorms after 5pm, with a high near 69°F and southeast winds at 10-16 mph gusting up to 26 mph. Precipitation chance stands at 80%, with new rainfall amounts reaching between 0.1 and 0.25 inches, with higher amounts during thunderstorms. Thursday night will bring more showers, possible thunderstorms, and patchy fog between 9pm and 11pm. Temperatures will drop to around 56°F, accompanied by breezy south winds at 13-21 mph, gusting up to 30 mph. There’s a 100% chance of precipitation, and an additional 0.25 to 0.5 inch of rain is expected. See more from Weather.gov.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

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International grocery store chain Fresh World set to open this fall in Mount Vernon

Fresh World ‘Coming Soon’ banner hangs over old Safeway in Mount Vernon (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Fresh World is slated to breathe new life into the long-empty grocery store at Mount Vernon Square, with a potential reopening scheduled for next fall.

Joshua Kim, the international grocery store chain’s chief operating officer, told FFXnow this week that building renovations are underway, with a tentative grand opening date planned for September 2024. Once open, this would be the company’s fifth location in the Northern Virginia area and third in Fairfax.

“The locals and future customers can expect a well-stocked international neighborhood grocer to take over the former Safeway location early Fall 2024,” he said via email.

Mt. Vernon Square LLC, an affiliate of Fresh World, acquired the 70,617-square-foot property at 7451 Mount Vernon Square Center on June 13 for $17.1 million, the Washington Business Journal reported.

Although the grocery store occupies most of the shopping center, it shares space with several other retailers, including Ledo Pizza, Virginia ABC, M&T Bank, and a nail salon. According to Kim, two more vacant spaces are expected to be leased by the end of the year.

One of those vacant spaces is expected to be a Korean restaurant, according to Mount Vernon On the Move.

Additionally, the shopping center will completely repave its parking lot ahead of the grand opening.

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FFXnow Daily Debrief for Apr 9, 2024

Good Tuesday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Apr 9, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Wednesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

🌧️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect showers likely before 11am, with a slight chance of showers after 2pm, a high near 75, and southwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%, with new precipitation amounts less than a tenth of an inch. Wednesday night, there’s a chance of showers mainly between 8pm and 11pm, a low around 60, and southeast wind around 6 mph, with a 30% chance of precipitation. See more from Weather.gov.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

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PHOTOS: Hundreds gather at Turner Farm Park for partial solar eclipse event

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Hundreds turned out across Fairfax on Monday to see the partial solar eclipse which reached nearly 90% totality in the D.C. area.

The Fairfax County Park Authority held four separate eclipse viewings at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Burke Lake, Historic Huntley and Turner Farm Park.

Ben Boxer, a spokesperson for the park authority, said around 400 individuals registered for the viewing events in total. The event at Turner Farm in Great Falls, known for its roll-top observatory, drew one of the day’s largest audiences, with nearly 200 individuals pre-registered and another 80 spontaneously joining.

Attendees began gathering at the park’s entrance around 1 p.m., eager to claim their patch of grass and witness the celestial spectacle.

While full solar eclipses happen every few years, they often occur in remote locations, such as over oceans, making them difficult to observe.

The next total eclipse is anticipated to pass over Greenland, Iceland, and Spain in 2026, and then over northern Africa in 2037. North America, however, will not experience a total eclipse until 2033, and even then, it will be visible only in Alaska.

Sebastian Arnez, the lead observatory educator at Turner Farm, dedicated the afternoon to engaging with attendees, explaining the reasons behind eclipses, their mechanics, and their historical significance as they awaited the peak moment at 3:20 p.m.

“I touched on how the Babylonians used to record eclipses on stone tablets, how the Greeks had a calendar to predict when the next eclipse will be, just kind of cool stuff like that,” he told FFXnow.

The viewing event attracted a diverse crowd, ranging from young astronomy buffs to seasoned NASA scientists.

Sitting next to his wife, retired NASA scientist Steven Ballard shared that this was their second partial eclipse experience, with the previous one taking place in Idaho in 2017. He also brought along his personal telescope, equipped with a homemade filter, to observe the event.

“I never did astronomy. I just the missions that went [to space],” he told FFXnow.

The eclipse achieved approximately 87% coverage in the D.C. area, with Turner Farm offering a clear view thanks to minimal cloud cover. As the moon intersected with the sun, the park dimmed and the air cooled noticeably, culminating in a striking crescent shape.

George Mason University student and nearby resident Joshua Liu managed to capture several photos below of the event using his smartphone through a telescope provided by the park authority which he shared with FFXnow.

Partial solar eclipse over Fairfax County on April 8, 2024 (courtesy of Joshua Liu)
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FFXnow Daily Debrief for Apr 8, 2024

Good Monday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Apr 8, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Tuesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

⛈️ Tuesday’s forecast

Showers are possible from 2pm to 5pm, followed by potential showers and thunderstorms after 5pm, with mostly cloudy skies and a high around 77°F. Winds will be calm, shifting to southwestern at 6mph in the afternoon, with a 30% precipitation chance. Tuesday night includes a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, remaining cloudy and a low temperature around 58°F, with a south wind at 7mph. See more from Weather.gov.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

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FFXnow Daily Debrief for Apr 5, 2024

Good Friday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Apr 5, 2024.

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. Mexican grocery store with a restaurant to open soon in Reston (6517 views)
  2. Mother of motorcyclist killed in West Ox Road crash ‘saddened’ by $50 fine for driver (5007 views)
  3. Construction to begin on workforce housing development in Tysons (3880 views)
  4. Murder case against Reston au pair tied to fatal shooting moves closer to trial (3861 views)
  5. FCPD: Two men arrested, others identified in Springfield ‘street takeover’ incident (3592 views)
  6. Cherry blossom festival to bloom at the Mosaic District this weekend (2811 views)
  7. Pizzeria, brew pub and Perchfest coming to Capital One Center this spring (2763 views)
  8. Fairfax County questions Dominion over cost of connecting renewable energy to grid (2496 views)
  9. Residential development approved to replace Worldgate Drive offices in Herndon (2275 views)
  10. Reston air-conditioning service to restart, thanks to community donations (2148 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

🌥️ Saturday’s forecast

Clouds will increase throughout the day, bringing a high of 56 degrees alongside a northwest wind at 15 to 18 mph and gusts up to 31 mph. On Saturday night, expect partly cloudy skies and a low of 37 degrees, with a northwest wind at 8 to 13 mph and gusts reaching 18 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

We hope you have a great weekend! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋

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Herndon’s Red Kimono restaurant appears to have closed

Red Kimono in Herndon appears to have closed (staff photo by Fatimah Waseem)

Red Kimono in Herndon appears to have closed.

The Asian restaurant at 790 Station Street, which served up sushi, ramen and barbecue, did not return multiple requests for comment from FFXnow. Based on reports from customers and a look at the facade of the business, the restaurant appears to be closed.

The website of the restaurant was also taken down, and third-party companies like GrubHub are no longer accepting orders from the restaurant.

It’s unclear what will take over the restaurant. Readers tell FFXnow that requests from the business have been unresponsive for several weeks.

Red Kimono was typically closed for most of the day and opened between 3 and 10 p.m.

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FFXnow Daily Debrief for Apr 4, 2024

Good Thursday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Apr 4, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Friday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

☀️ Friday’s forecast

Expect mostly sunny skies with a high temperature near 53 degrees and west winds ranging from 8 to 17 mph, gusting up to 24 mph. The night will be mostly clear with a low temperature around 36 degrees and a northwest wind around 11 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

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Most and least expensive homes sold in Fairfax County (March 2024)

Here in Fairfax County, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive single-family homes sold last month (March 2024).

Most expensive single-family homes sold

  1. 1120 Guilford Ct — McLean — $5,000,000 (4 beds | 8 baths | 8,445 sq. ft.)
  2. 836 Whann Ave — McLean — $4,865,000 (7 beds | 9 baths | 10,213 sq. ft.)
  3. 1479 Waggaman Cir — McLean — $3,800,000 (6 beds | 8 baths | 7,500 sq. ft.)
  4. 817 Carrie Ct — McLean — $3,475,000 (6 beds | 5.5 baths | 7,551 sq. ft.)
  5. 1564 Forest Villa Ln — McLean — $3,400,000 (6 beds | 6.5 baths | 7,408 sq. ft.)

Least expensive single-family homes sold*

  1. 8303 Keeler St — Woodlawn — $392,000 (3 beds | 1.5 baths | 960 sq. ft.)
  2. 4816 Bradford Dr — Annandale — $478,500 (5 beds | 2 baths | 1,290 sq. ft.)
  3. 3307 Campbell Dr — Rose Hill — $495,000 (3 beds | 1 baths | 875 sq. ft.)

*Minimum home value of $200,000 set to exclude certain land sales, retirement condos, properties with expiring ground leases, etc.

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